Pin clearing apparatus



Nov. 19, 1946. c, TURNER 2,411,348

PIN CLEARING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 11, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ewe/v70? amass L. 7Z/PNEP the Tuzfim ArroRA/M NOV. 19, 1946. Q TURNER 2,411,348

PIN CLEARING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 11, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m PE. M m f iw m m E m NLT gm m mam 3E m mx m 5 w m VA 3H Foe EFF/1PM Ar TOEN'EYS skilled in the art.

Patented Nov. 19, 1946 2,411,348 PIN CLEARING APPARATUS Charles L. Turner, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to Leighton J. Turner, Long Beach, Calif.

Application August 11, 1944, Serial No. 548,973

4 Claims. (01.273-54) ing in upright position.

Another object is to provide equipment which may be automatically moved into position over the zone in which the bowling pins are set up at the rear of a bowling alley, and may be automatically operated to engage and hold in position pins which remain standing and to sweep from the pin zone or region of play into the usual pit at the rear those pins which are down, including those which have fallen into the usual gutters at the sides of the alley.

A further object is to provide means which may be so operated as to permit standing pins to be cleared, as well as fallen pins, when it is desired to reset the whole group.

It is also an object and feature of the invention to provide means which -will hold standing pins and yielding means adapted to be moved past and around standing pins while sweeping fallen ones from the pin zone.

From the following description and accompanying drawings, other objects and features of the invention will become apparent to those In the drawings, which are for the purpose merely of illustrating one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus possessing the present improvements, the apparatus being shown as elevated to an inoperative position, but poised for lowering to an operative position;

Fig. 2 is principally a plan view as indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation as indicated by the lines 33 of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation similar to that of Fig. l and showing the apparatus in operation;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional detail taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is principally a fragmentary plan, some parts appearing in section, as indicated by the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and 3 Fig. '7 is a longitudinal sectional detail taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 5.

The drawings disclose the apparatus arranged in operative position with relation to bowling pins 8, which, as indicated in Fig. 1. are set in playing position in a pin zone at the rear end of a bowling alley 8. The apparatus includes a carriage l0 and comprises a platform in the form of a metal base plate l2 having at its sides upstanding supporting flanges l4. Near each end of each flange Hi there is pivoted atl5 thelower end of an adjacent supporting link l6 which is in turn pivoted upon the outer end of a cross rod l8 which is mounted in the lower ends of upper supporting links 20 pivotally connected at 22 to brackets 24 secured in any appropriate manner to an overhead support 25. In this manner, the four corners of the carriage l0 are supported by four sets of pivoted links l6 and 20. In order that the carriage l0 may be raised and lowered to and from operative position with respect to the bowling pins 8 positioned inthe pin zone, a cable 26 is provided, the cable having two branches 21 whose ends are connected with the carriage II] as by being secured to the middle portions of the cross rods l8. The cable branches 2'! are passed over pulleys 28 carried in brackets 30 mounted above the rods l8 on the overhead support 25. The cable 26 extends to the vicinity of the players position at the forward end of the alley 9 Where it passes over a pulley 3|. For actuation by the players, the free end of the cable 26 may be provided with any appropriate means, such as a manipulating ring 32, which may at the same time be employed to anchor the end of the cable 26 whereby to hold the platform I12 in elevated inoperative position, as indicated in Fig. 1. For this purpose, any retainer 33 to receive the ring 32 may be employed, the retainer 33 being shown as mounted on a, wall 34.

The under side of the platform i2 oi the carriage I0 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced pin engaging or clamping strips 35 which preferably are somewhat yielding and constructed of cushioning material, such as felt or rubber pads, whereby the upper ends of standing bowling pins 8 may be clamped against the alley floor 9 when the carriage is lowered into the operative position shownin Figs. 4 and 5. In the construction shown, the pin engaging strips 35 are mounted upon the lower faces of wooden strips 36 secured to the under side of the metal base plate or platform 12, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 7.

Arranged for travel between the pin clamping from the alley fallen bowling pins by yielding movement around and between standing pins which are held upright by reason of engagement by the clamping strips 85, as indicated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. There are several sweeps in each series, four being shown by way of example. Each series of sweep rods .81 is attached to an endlessbelt 48, as by means of any appropriate coupling 41. The belts 48 pass around drums 42 which are mounted on shafts 48 pivoted in ears 44 extending outward from the ends of the upstanding side walls I4 of the base plate l2. For the purpose of driving the drums 42 and their belts 40, an electric motor 45 is mounted at one end of the base plate l2, as by means of an extension I2a, the motor shaft being geared at 48 to the adjacent shaft 48, and corresponding drums 42 being secured thereon in driving relation. In order that actuation of the sweeps 88 may be controlled by the players, an electric supply conduit 41 is led from the motor 45 by any suitable route to an appropriate switch 48 which may be secured upon the wall 84 for convenient manipulation by the players when desired. I

Each of the belts 48 carries several sweeps 88 .in order that a sweeping operation not completed by a leading sweep may be gradually completed by following sweeps. As shown, the sweeps 88 are located along only a portion of the respective belts 48, so that, when the sweeps -88 are in inoperative position, they will be disposed above the. carriage l0, and also so that, when the carriage I8 is lowered to cause the clamping strips 85 to engage the top of the pins 8, sweeps will not be present to disturb pins the rear end of the bowling alley 8, as indicated in Fig. 2. This position of the carriage I8 is normally maintained by means of the cable-26 and its branches 21 through the medium of the retaining means 82 and 88.

Operation In employing the apparatus for the purpose of clearing pins which have been struck down by the players, for example as indicated in Fig. 3, the retaining ring 82' will be manipulated by a player to lower the carriage l into a position such as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5 where the terial.

as necessary to clear fallen pins.

the sweeps 88, which as shown are relatively broad pieces of polygonal shape, are of resilient material which likewise will yield sufficiently to pass around held standing pins 8 and between them, as best indicated in Fig. 6, while possessing at the same time sufllcient stiffness to force the fallen pins from the alley floor. Thus, the sweep. rods 81 may be steel rods, and the sweeps 88 may be made from sheets of semi-hard rubber or light spring steel or other appropriate ma- As the belts 48 advance and carry the sweep rods 81 and the sweeps 88, those pins which are easily removable will be removed by the corresponding leading sweep or sweeps. Fallen pins that are located in front of clamped upright pins, such as indicated at the right of Fig. 6, may not'be entirely freed from their position by the corresponding leading sweeps but will be gradually moved around the standing pins by successive sweeps so that in practically all instances any pin will be removed at least by the time the last sweep has passed through the pin zone. Otherwise, the motor may be allowed to pass the sweeps through the pin zones as many times As indicated in Fig. 5, sweep rods 81 .and sweeps 88, which overlie the usual gutters 50 provided at the sides of bowling alleys, are somewhat longer than those which'overlie the pin zone. This greater length facilitates removal of pins which have fallen into the gutters, so that they, as well as other fallen pins, are swept into the pit 52 at the rear of the bowling alley.

All fallen pins having been cleared, the player operates the electric switch 48 at such time as to stop the sweep rods 81 and sweeps 88 in the upper position illustrated in Fig. 1. Otherwise, the switch 48 may include automatic means-which causes the motor 45- to-be stopped only when the sweeps are-in the desired upper position. Thereupon, the cable 28 may be pulled in order to raise the carriage l8 into theinoperative position of Fig. 1,- whereupon the ring 82 is engaged over. the retalning'means :8. It will be apparent that, ,if' it should be desired to sweep all pins including the standing pins from the alley, the

lowering: of the, carriage l0 may be stopped at a I position somewhat above that illustrated in Figs.

4, and 5, so that, when the motor 45 is started and the sweeps 88 move through the pin zone, all pins willbe swept into the pit 52.

clamp strips 85 rest upon the tops of the upright pins and clamp them against the floor. The

player then actuates the switch 48 to start the While preferredem bodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, nevertheless, it is intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination in pin clearing apparatus:

a carrier adapted to be moved to and from position above a'pin zone of a bowling alley: a platform included in said carrier; a plurality of spaced longitudinally arranged pin retaining means adapted to retain standing pins in upright position and carried by the under side ofsaid platform; and a plurality of sweep means carriedby said platform and disposed to move longitudinally between said pin retaining means and to remove fallen pins.

2. A combination according to claim 1 wherein said carrier is provided with drums, and said sweep means includes belts mounted on said drums and yielding devices projecting from portions of said belts and adapted to force fallen pins from said pin zone.

3. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the pin retaining means is adapted to rest upon the tops of standing pins and clamp them against the alley floor.

4. In combination in bowling pin clearing apparatus: a, carriage; means for supporting said carriage in suspended position over a, pin zone; means to raise and lower said carriage between inoperative and operative positions; means on said carriage to retain upright pins in position; removing means on said carriage including a plurality of spring arms arranged to thread their way between pin positions, and resilient means on said arms adapted to yield when contacting upright pins and to engage and sweep fallen pins from the pin zone; and means to actuate said removing means.

CHARLES L. T. 

